The invention relates to a charge control apparatus for controlling the operation of a reciprocating internal combustion engine, especially a gasoline engine. The invention also relates to a method for controlling the operation of a reciprocating internal combustion engine, especially a gasoline engine.
One of the reasons that reciprocating internal combustion engines, especially reciprocating internal combustion engines controlled via a throttle valve and operated as a four cycle engine, have an increasingly higher specific fuel usage in correspondence with decreasing loadingxe2x80x94that is, fuel usage per given work unitxe2x80x94is attributable to the throttle loss. An increasing underpressure or vacuum is formed downstream of the throttle valve in the volume of the suction intake between the throttle valve and the intake valve in correspondence with an increasingly more frequently closed throttle valve and this increasing vacuum reduces during the period during which the intake valve is closed. The energy stored in this volume which is impacted by the vacuum is consequently lost for use otherwise as work energy. The vacuum created by the downward movement of the piston during the intake stroke causes a dissipative loading change slide in the P-V (pressure-volume) diagram.
The invention provides a solution to the challenge of providing a charge control apparatus for a reciprocating internal combustion engine, especially a gasoline engine, which is operable to effect an especially fuel saving operation of the reciprocating internal combustion engine. The invention further provides a solution to the challenge of providing a method for controlling the operation of a reciprocating internal combustion engine, especially a gasoline engine, such that an especially fuel saving and environmentally beneficial operation of the reciprocating internal combustion engine is possible.
With the help of the valve provided in accordance with the invention which is disposed in the intake channel and which is actuated by a dedicated electric motor, a charge control of an internal combustion engine in a throttle valve free manner is possible such that substantially all thermodynamically favorable charging controls can be achieved through the possible variations of the control of the rotary disc valve.
In accordance with another feature of the present invention, the efficiency of the combustion engine, particularly with respect to partial loading, is improved or, respectively, the associated fuel usage is reduced by the features of claim 2.
Claims 7-9 define a further embodiment of a valve.
In accordance with another feature of the present invention, the invention can be advantageously used for motors with two intake valves.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for controlling the operation of a reciprocating internal combustion engine. Through the special control of the rotary disc valve, it is achieved that the vacuum produced between the rotary disc valve and the intake valve in the intake channel creates a pressure wave which reduces the intake effort of the piston and thus contributes to a particularly favorable fuel economizing operation.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for controlling the operation of a reciprocating internal combustion engine which can be implemented as well with the features of motors for controlling the operation of two intake valves per cylinder. With the help of the targeted modulation of the fresh air or fresh combustion gas loading which flows through the intake openings, it is possible to create, in a weak load situation, a prescribed turbulence in the charge introduced into the cylinder or the combustion space of the type which is a prerequisite for a fuel lean and thermodynamically favorable complete combustion.